Will a heavier buffer in an AR reduce felt recoil?

[wilit]

The AR used to be my wife's favorite rifle to shoot, then I went and sold the 5.56 upper for a 7.62 upper and now she doesn't like it as much. I've installed a brake, and it's helped, but it's still not back down to the 5.56's recoil. I'm thinking a heavier buffer might help. Yea or nay?

[cvx5832]

My Stag 8 (piston) had a really sharp recoil. Moved up to an H2 and Wolff extra power spring. Better, but it still felt sharp. After much reading I took a chance on Slash's 6.5 oz buffers (more than twice my original carbine buffer weight) and boy has it really calmed down. Cycles reliably too, in fact it's been 1,500+ since I cleaned it last. It's in the middle of a non-scientific endurance test. No failures of any kind so far. I do keep it lubricated, I just don't clean it.

One note is that I only shoot m193s, so try to borrow a heavier buffer first to make sure it cycles and locks back reliably on your particular load.

I know you're asking about 308s, but in my case, moving up weights did the trick.

[campperrykid]

What he said.
In principle , anyway.
My experience is with middy AR carbines 16 and 14.5 (w/pinned & welded FS).

[dieselpower]

buy her an AR15 upper. You use the 7.62x39, she will use the 5.56.

[Bobby Hated]

talk to clint at heavybuffers.com

he cuatom makes buffers and springs for all occasions. at a reasonable price too.

[xxINKxx]

I don't have an 7.62 upper. But 1 of my ARs I built has a PWS fs556 brake, and a hydraulic buffer.. Thing has no recoil or muzzle rise.

I let a calguns members little kids (like 12 - 15 yr old) shoot it at the zombie shoot and they fell in love.

Also 7.62x39 is a harsher round. You can only do so much since laws of physics are in play

[shafferds]

Keep the wife happy and shooting - just spend 400 bucks on a ar upper in 223/556 and she will be much happier or it give you an excuse to buy a whole nother gun.

[starsnuffer]

When you find out how to make a .556 round feel like a .308 come back here and let us know.

It's probably not just the recoil your wife doesn't like, but the noise and concussion have a lot to do with it.

-W

[Agent Tikki]

A heavier buffer, heavier BCG, and buffer spring will reduce felt recoil. But changes the timing on the recoil impulse. Its a bandaid fix for the problem. Honestly tho, for us lowly Kommifornians with only semi auto available, its really a viable way to tune your AR. Just keep in mind, the heavier the reciprocating parts are, the less the felt recoil is and the slower it will cycle. Also the heavier and slower it is the more prone it will be to short cycle, especially with weaker underpowered ammo.

The real way to change it would be to change the gas port size.

[cvx5832]

I also wanted to add that at least for me, the effect of moving to a heavier buffer wasn't the same for all guns.

On my midlengths, the move from an H2 to the HSS buffer did not produce as dramatic an improvement as it did on my carbine. In fact on the midlengths I was trying very hard to see if there even was a difference after moving the buffers back and forth. Only thing that was unmistakable was that the action slowed down by a good deal.

[dagger10k]

Get ye an epic muzzle break: http://www.jprifles.com/buy.php?item=JPRE-324

[coyotebait]

OP, when you say 7.62, you are referring to 7.62x39, correct?

[starsnuffer]

Get ye an epic muzzle break: http://www.jprifles.com/buy.php?item=JPRE-324

Ah, that's the "I don't have any friends and don't want any/piss off the neighbors" muzzle break!

-W

[motorwerks]

yup he's talking about 7.62x39, not 7.62x51. These threads kill me. Its always a good laugh when people think a 7.62 AR15 upper means somehow you figured out a way to make .308 fit through the magwell. I still have yet to even see a single shot .308 upper (not saying its not out there someplace, jsut that I haven't seen it)

[mif_slim]

AR762 has a kick??!! oh wait, for your wife...okay. I was gonna tell you to hand over your mancard. LOL.